davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11

law of England. Many British writer's
contend that it did not. However, the
dispute on this subject seems to be upon
a mere abstraction, for there was Sys-
TEN of procedure in law in England
which was, in all essential respects. tor
ture. This was known as peine forte
ct dure. These are French words de-
noting harsh and severe punishment.
If a prisoner indicted for any capital
offenSe refused to answer to the charge
preferred against him, and sOprevented
his trial taking place. he was condemned
to the punishment of peine forte ct dure.
The prisoner was laid on his back, nearly
naked, in a dungeon, with heavy
weights put upon his breast, and while
subjected to this ordeal he received a
small allowance of water one day and a
small portion of the cOarsest and hardest
bread next day. These rations were
thus alternated until the victim either
consented to plead or died.
This was the form which the punish
ment of peine forte ct dure took when
first introduced. Subsequently,, though,
the system was changed so that it be-
came death penalty. a person refus-
ing to answer to an Indictment, and
thus becoming subjected to the ordeal,
could not secure a release from it by
conserving to plead. The punishment
was continued until death.
THE ERA OF ToRTUTE.
Torture was recognized, either by law
or custom, in the principal European
countries for many centuries. 1t proba-
bly, assumed more phases in Germany
than in any other part of the world
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11


employed in the American colonies. 1t
was frequently used as punishment
for necrOmancy. SOrcery or Witchcraft.
In that connection it was death pen
atty, and was not torture proper. There
are very few cases on record in which
it was used in this country to compel
person to confess guilt or TO reveal ac-
completes: and there are not many in
stances in which it was employed TO i'll
duce the retrectiOn of religious views
opposed to the general belief of the
community. Stories are told of its hav-
ing been reSOrted to occasionally by the
Spaniards during their dominance in
the southern portion of the country, es-
pecially in Florida.
Here is one well authenticated case,
however, of the punishment of peine
forte ct dure being inflicted in this
country. During the crusade against
witches in Massachusetts Giles CORY,
the husband of a woman accused of
practicing witchcraft, refused to answer
any questions put to him on his trial on
the charge of aiding her in her cOnjura-
tons. Neither threats nor blandish-
mentS could induce him to talk. The
court. therefore, directed that this tor
ture be administered to him. Although
he was in feeble health and over eighty
years of age, the pressure of the heavy
weights upon his breast as he was
stretched upon the floor of his prison
rendered him all the more Obdurate.
The punishment. consequently, was
continued until his death.
TORTURE UNDER ECCLESIASTICAL d.
RECTION.
The most cruel and barbarOuS cases
of torture Oh record were those inflicted
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11

during the latter portion of the Middle
Ages. A complete set of the nipple
ments of torture are still displayed in
the town house of RatiSbOn, in Bavaria.
Torture was not formally abolished in
Germany until about the beginning of
the present century. Practically, how
ever, it had gone out of use half cen
fury earlier, although it was employed
to some extent when Howard, the
English philanthrOpist and prison re
former, visited Germany in 100. 1t
was abolished in France during the
revolution. But 1t had gone into disuse
in that country before that time, thanks
to the efforts of VOltaire, Rousseau,
Beccaria and others. Russia abolished
it i'll 1901. In Austria it was suspended
about the middle of the last century,
although instances are Oh record in
which it was inflicted up to near the Le
ginning of the present century.
The punishment of peine forte ct dure
was abolished by law in England in
1712, during the early portion of the
reign of George Ill. 1t had been en-
plOyed from time to time ever since the
days of Edward |. in the latter part of
the thirteenth century. The last time
which it was judicially resOrted to in
that country, however, was in 1910.
Torture was in vogue i'll Scotland until
after the restoration. but was abolished
in the early days of the rule of Queen
Anne.
TORTURE IN THE AMERICAN COLONIES
Torture, in the sense in which the
word is generally employed, was seldom
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
33S.341-1W.MlY

33S- 345-1w-wly Secretary of State
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT-TH
~ is to certify that ut regular meeting of
the directors of the Rainy Lake River
4 southwestern Railway company,
held at the Office of j. II. A.
1887, pursuant to notice duly given, the fol
lowing resolution was unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That Article l of the articles of
incorporation of the Rainy Lake River d.
Southwestern Hallway companv lie and is
Hereby amended so as to read as follows:
Article 1.-The corporate name of the cor
poration shall be The Duluth, Rainy Lake
River IL Southwestern Railway company.
The general nature of the business of the cor
poration is and shall he to survey, locate, con
stTuct, maintain, operate and own Il railway
with one or more tracks or lines of road ami
the equipment therefor, with all necessary
side tracks and turnouts and all machine
shops, warehouses, stOrehouses elevators,
deDOts, station houses, factories, buildings,
structures, erections and appurtenances nee
esSary and convenient for the management,
equipment and operation of said railway
from the city of Duluth, i'll the county of st.
Louis. state of Minnesota, in a northwesterly
direction to point on the west bank of
Rainy Lake river south of the Lake OF the
Woods at the mouth of Rainy Lake river, in
the county OF Beltrami and state of Mime
sofa; thence in southWeSterlv direction to-
ward Bismarck, i'll the territory of Dakota,
with such branches, turnOuts and lateral
lines as may be found necessary or expedient
for the convenient transaction of its bust
ness. The principal place of transacting the
business of this corporation IS and shall be at
the village of La Crescent, i'll the county of
Houston and state of Minnesota but the di-
rectors are hereby empowered TO remove the
general Office of the corporation from time
to time to any point on the line of road as
they may deem necessary or proper
[Seal \. MYRlCk, President.
Attest: NJ. T. MOORE, Secretary.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11

ever cause, in the various ages and
countries, are countless. This punish
ment was inflicted on thousands in the
endeavor to extOrt testimony, to obtain
names of persons implicated in offenSes
against the state or the individual, or to
bring about TecantatiOn of religious or
scientific beliefs obnoxious to the au-
thorities of the dominant faith. The
most notable instances, perhaps, are
those in which the religious element
entered. The fortunes inflicted on st.
Laurence, POlycarp, st. Agnes, John
Tewkesbury and John WhitcOmb, for
example, in the vain attempt to induce
them to abjure the religious opinions
every reader of history. The story of
the persecution of the Waldenses and
HuguenOts is familiar to most well-in-
formed persons. The following ringing
lines, in reference to the treatment
given the former people, are from Mil
ton:
Avenge; o Lord, thy slaughtered saints,
Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold,
e zen them who kept thy truth so pure of old,
When all cur fathers worshiped stocks and
stones.
Forget not; i'll thy book record their groans
Who were thy sheep, and in their ancient fold
Slain by the bloody Piedmontese that rolled
Mother and infant down the rocks. Their
means
The wales redoubled to the hills, and they
To heaven. Their martyred blood and ashes
sow
Ger all the Italian fields, where still doth
sway
The triple tyrant, that from these may grow
An hundredfold who, having learned thy
way,
Early may fly the Babylonian woe.
WAS GALILEo's TORTURE PHYSICAL.
The question as to the character of
the torture inflicted upon Calico is still
in dispute. Was it merely moral, as
shown in the history of the time, or was
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
341-347

LIMITED STATES MARSHAL'S NOTICE
" Admiralty Seizure: Whereas Il libel
has been filed in the district court of the
United States of America OH the 18th day of
October, A. d. 1887, by Lawler d Durment,
proctors in behalf of Charles Teal VS.. The
Steamboat Annie Barnes, her engines, ma
chinery, tackle, apparel and furniture, in
cause of action civil and maritime and
for cause more fully set forth in
said libel, now on file in said clerks Office of
the United States district court for the dis
trict of Minnesota, and praying the usual
process and monition OF the court that all
persons interested in said steamboat. her en-
gines, tackle. apparel and furniture may be
cited to answer the premises, and all due pro-
ceedings being had, that the same NAV be de-
distributed according to law.
Therefore, in pursuance of said monition,
under the seal of said court to me directed
and delivered, / do hereby give notice gener-
ally to all persons having or pretending to
have any right, title or interest therein, or
knowing or having anything to say why the
same should not be condemned and solo pur
suant to the prayer in said libel. to appear
before the said court to be held in and for
said District of Minnesota, at st. Paul in said
district on the first Monday of November, A.
d. 1887, at 10 o'clock in the forenoon of the
same day, if the same shall be day of juris-
diction, otherwise on the next day of juris-
diction thereafter, then and there TO inter-
pose claim for the same and make their al
legations in that behalf.
w. NJ. CAMPBELL, I. S. Marshal.
By order of the court return day extended
to first Monday Of January, A. d. 1888, at 10
o'clock in the forenoon of the same day, if
the same be day OF jurisdiction, otherwise
on the next day Of jurisdiction.
W. NJ. CAMPBELL, U. s. Marshal.
Dated ST. Paul, Mimi, Dec 8, 1887.
33s-351 ..--s
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11

THE TIUMBSCREW.
it physical also? The records contain
an account of the moral torture only.
Some writers of GalileO'S day, however,
cOntended that he had been placed
upon the rack and literally subjected to
the ordeal of punishment administered
to cOntumaciOuS witnesses or Obdurate
heretics. But whether this is or is not
strictly accurate, it is certain that phys
zeal torture was promised him if he
failed to retract his published opinions
in favor of the COppernican system of
astronomy and all that that system i'm
piled. This much, however, is not dis
puted. GalileO, clad only in a shirt of
sackclOck, was compelled to pronounce,
on his knees and in the presence of the
judges of the Roman cOurS and large
aSSemblage of prelateS, most complete
and humiliating recantatiOn OF the
views which had been the fruits of life
spent in the search for scientific truth.
At that time the distinguished astrono-
mer was about seventy years of age.
Tradition said that he uttered these
words under his breath as he rose from
his knees: Z pur 81 muOve c'The world
does move, nevertheleSs'o This story
may or may not be true, but that he was
subjected to acute moral torture, and
that cruel physical torture was threat
ened, is undOubted.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
BROKEN on THE WHEEL.


on which the victim was stretched.
There was roller on each end, laid at
right angles to the direction in which
the victim was stretched. These rollers
came within about foot of his feet and
hands, respectively, when his legs and
arms were extended at full length.
Stout ropes were tied around the ankles
and wrists, and attached to projections
on the rollers. In the rollers were holes,
into which levers were inserted. On
each roller was ratchet which pre-
vented it from moving backward. By
means of these levers, each often
welded by two powerful men. the vic
tim was frequently subjected to such a
strain that the joints of his wrists and
ankles were diSlOcated.
This was the common form of the rack
as it existed in most of the European
countries. In Germany, however, it
sometimes took another shape. The
rollers were studded with long, sharp
spikes, and over these the victim, who,
in this case, would be naked, would be
drawn backward and forward until he
either would give the desired informa-
ton or die.
Still another form of rack was occa-
siOnally employed in Germany. This
was the ordinary rack. ranged vertically
instead of horizontally, the upper
roller alone being used. The victims
hands were tied behind his back and
ropes extended from his arms to the
roller. Heavy stones were attached TO
his feet. By the use of the roller and
lever he would be drawn up several
feet, when he would be permitted to
drop to within a few inches of the
ground, where his fall would be az
rested by a sudden Jerk.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11

relative severity. One form was termed
the question ordinary and the other
the question extraordinary" The first
involved a comparatively mild use of
the instruments of torture. The sec
Ond. however, inc. u led the extremist
severity compatible with the preserva-
ton of life.
There was a distinction also made in
the ''threats of torture" There was
what was called verbal territiOn," in
which the executiOner described the
torture. and the real teTTitiOn," when
the victim was put upon the rack, but
the torture not administered.
There was a distinction also regard
ing the time of the application of
torture. For example, it was called in
one phase the question preparatory"
and in another the question prelim-
mary" In the first case it was for the
purpose of compelling the suspected
person to confess that he himself was
guilty, and in the second it was en-
plOyed to induce him to reveal his con-
federateS.
SPREAD OF THE SYSTEM OF TORTURE.
The adoption of the system of torture
by Rome, and its extension during the
empire to all the countries dominated by
that nation, gave it firm foOthOld
throughout Europe and part of Asia.
In the Middle Ages it was feature of
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11

of torture were extended and the nipple
ments by which it was inflicted i'll
creased. Among the Greeks it could be
administered to slaves only. Immunity
from torture was one of the most pre-
ciOuS privileges of the free Hellenic citi-
zen in the days of Grecian greatness.
An exception was made, however, in the
case of persons suspected of crime
against the state. To discover guilt in
OffenseS of that character, torture was
sometimes inflicted OH persons without
distinction of social status or rank. Tn
der Roman rule the free citizen did not
enjoy the exemption from torture which
was extended to him by the Greeks. By
DEGREES of Nero, DOmitian and other
deSpOtS it was often inflicted for OtfenSeS
purely imaginary. 1t was inflicted
even on persons of high rank and on
both sexes.
THE PURPOSES OF TORTURE.
A word may be necessary here in eX-
PLANTATION of the full purpose of torture.
1t was, as already intimate d, inflicted
with the object of discovering crime,
whether committed by the person tor
tured or his accOmplices. Sometimes,
however. it had another purpose. In
cases of religious prosecutions 1t was
employed to compel hereticS to retract
or unbeIieVerS to subscribe to the tenetS
of some particular faith.
There were two grades of torture in
ficted, the distinction being in their
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
Assessment for Wooden SIDE
waLks.
OFFICE BOARD OF PUBLIC Works,
CITY OF ST. PAUL. MIMI, Dec. 9, 1887. !

The Board of Public Works in and for
the corporation of the city of st. Paul,
Minnesota, will meet at their Office in
said city at 2p. m. on the 22d day of De-
cember, "A. ID. 1SS7,to make an assess
ment of benefits, costs and expenses
arising from constructing, relaying and
repairing wooden sidewalks Estimate
No. y under contract of James Forces
tai, for term beginning April l, 1887,
and ending Nov. l, 1857, in said city, ON
the south side of Third street, on the
north and south sides of Fourth street,
on the south side of Prince street, on
the west side of Burr street. on the east
side of st. Peter street, on the east side
of Mississippi street, on the west side of
DOusman street, on the north side of
Fauquier street, on the north and south
sides of Ross street, on the north and
south sides of Chicago avenue, on the
property fronting on said sidewalks and
deemed benefited thereby amounting
in the aggregate to $5,643.
All persons interested are hereby no
titled to be present at said time and
place of making said assessment and
will be heard.
RI. GORMAN. President.
Official: w. F. ERWIN.
344-345 Clerk Board of Public Works.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
STATE OF MINNESOTA. !

COUNTY OF HENNEPIN. !
Be it known that on this 1st day of De-
cember, A. d. 1887, before me, u notary
public within and for said Hennepin county,
personally came j. d. Spinger, personally
known to me to be the same person who
signed and sealed the annexed and fOrego-
ing articles of association and of incorpor-
alton, and acknowledged that he signed and
sealed the same as his free act and deed.
W. NEAL DONALDSON,
Notary Public, Hennepin County, MINI.
[Notarial Seal
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
STATE OF MINNESOTA,

RAMSEY COUNTY,
Be it known that at st. Paul. in said RAM
sey county, before the undersigned, u notary
public within and for said county, on this I'd
day of December, A. D.1SS7, personally came
andappeared the above-named and subscribed
Charles l.. Sumbardo Amos +. Bowman and
Mason NJ Flint 10 ME severally known to be
the identical persons who executed the fore
going articles of association, and they sew
orally acknowledged that they executed the
same as their free act and deed, for the pur-
poses therein expressed.
Witness my hand and official seal, at st.
Paul, the date above written.
N6tarial Seal.
Ramsey Co., HARVEY OFFICER,
Minnesota. Notary Public,
Ramsey County, Minneota.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
STATE OF MINNESOTA,

COUNTY OF RAMSEY,
Be it known that on this 26th day OF
November, A. D. 1887, before me. notary
public within and for said Ramsey county,
personally came Patrick II. Kelly, Harlan p.
Hall, Lewis Baker Frederic A. Fogg, William
Foulke and Charles A. Diether each to me
personally known to be the same persons
who signed and sealed the annexed and fore
going articles of association and OF incorpOr-
alton. and that they each acknowledged that
they signed and sealed the same as their free
act and deed. VIM. 5. MOORE,
Notary Public, Ramsey County, Mimi.
[Notarial Seal.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11

King Edward H., of England, to apply
torture to certain Templars accused of
heresy and apostasy. Edward insisted
however, that no mutilation be prac
ticed on the victims, ana that it be sus-
pended before serious physical injury
to them should occur. The king, in
this injunction, displayed humane feel
disregarded to such degree that some
of the Templars died from the effects of
the torture which they were compelled
to undergo.
THE RA OK.
The most commonly used instru ment
of torture was the rack. This con sisted
of an oblong frame, laid horizo ntally,
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
STATE OF MINNESOTA. /

J
hereby certify that the within instrument
was tled for record in this Office on the 10Th
day of November a. ID. 1897. at 1910
O'Clock p. M, and was duly recorded in Book
S of Interpretations, on page =.
II. MATTSON, Secretary of State.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
STATE OF MINNESOTA, ]

COUNTY OF RAMSEY. ES5.
OFFICE OF THE REGISTER OF DEEDS.
This is TO certify that the within instrument
was filed for record in this Office at st. Paul.
on the ID day of December, a. d. 1897. at
3 O'Clock p. M, and that the same was
duly recorded in Book = of Interpretations
pages - and Nj j. BELL,
Register of Deeds.
BY Fl. A. HAGEMAN, Deputy.
Register of Deeds Seal
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
STATE OF MINNESOTA.

COUNTY OF RAMSEY, fSS.
Office of the Register of Deeds.
This is to certify that the within instrument
was filed for record in this office, at st. Paul,
on the 9th day of December, a. d. 1887. at
9:4O o'clock a. m, and that the same was
duly recorded in Book e. of interpretations
page 166. NJ. j. BELL, Register of Deeds.
340-34S
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11

JOHN WHITMAN REFUSES TO RECANT.
by the authorities of the church. Dur
ing the days of the inQuSition nearly all
devices of inflicting punishment which
religious fanaticiSm and ignorance could
suggest and ingenuity construct were
employed to either eXtirpate heretics or
10 bring them under the spiritual con-
troll of the dominant faith.
The number of persons put to death
in Spain. Germany and the Netherlands,
France, Italy and other places, in Obedi
ence to the DEGREES of the courts of the
inQuisitiOn, during the centuries when
those bodies were in existence. is be-
lieved to have gone up into the millions.
1t is supposed, however, that torture
was never inflicted by ecclesiastical
direction before 1852. In that year Pope
Innocent ". called upon the secular
powers to put to torture persons ac-
cused of heresy. This torture was not,
at the time, intended as death pen
atty. 1t was designed TO compel the
persons subjected 70 it to make con-
fessions against themselves or others.
Pope Clement V. afterwards induced
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11

fore. will not be touched upon. In the
sense in which the word is employed
here torture was used by the state
mainly TO extract from the persons tor
tured an avOwal of guilt. a revelation
of accomplices, or testimony in general,
says writer in the st. Louis Globe
Democrat.
Torture. for some one or other of the
purposes named, was in vogue from a
very early age. 1t was in such general
vogue among the Greeks several cen
turtles before the beginning of the Chris
tan era. that it become Incorporated in
their legal procedure and grew to be a
regular feature of the administration of
their laws. Torture was one of the
1egacieS which the Greeks be-
queathed to their Roman con-
Querors. Under the rule of
these wOrld-subjugators the uses
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
STATE OF MINNESOTA,

DEPARTMENT OF STATE =
l hereby certify that the within instrument
was filed for record in this office on the I'd
day of December A. D. 1887. at 4:15 o'clock
D. m, and was duly recorded i'll book 50 of
articles of incorporation. on pages 593 to
597 inclusive. II. MATTSON,
Secretary of Stale
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
STATE OF MINNESOTA,

j hereby certify that the within instrument
was filed for record in this office on the I'd
day of December. a. ID. 1887. at 3 O'Clock
p. m, ana was duly recorded i'll Book of
interpretations, on page
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
PAUL, SANFORD & MERWIN,

Patent Attorneys and Solicitors. Offices: 10
German American Bank Building st. Paul:
657 eco Temple Court, Minneapolis; 925 +
street. Washington, D. 9.
St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-11
Graphic Description and Strik-
ing Illustrations OF the
Fearful Subject.
The Awful Rack, the Thumb
screw, the Boot, the "Seav-
enger's Daughter"
Other Torturing Instruments
Which Have Been Used
The Case of Calico.

HE term "tOr-
ture'' is derived
from the Latin
word torQuere,
which means to
twist or bend. As
used in this ar
ticle the term APP
plies to that in
ilicted in ODE
dience to the
mandate of the
monarch or of the
authorities of the
tate. The tor
ture administer
ed by individuals
in their private
capacity, there